A Belated Weighted Thursday

Ok...so I have been a very busy bee over the last few days. I was at a meeting in London all day on Thursday so unfortunately could not do my weighted Thursday update.

I didn't stay to my weight watchers meeting on Wednesday as I needed to spend the evening with Phil as I wasn't seeing him on my actual birthday last Friday, so I just went to the weigh in bit. To be honest I wasn't expecting much and was pessimistic about any weight loss. But I had lost 1.5lb again, so still moving consistently forward. I have lost 4.5lb in total in 3 weeks. I am pleased and will be very happy if I keep up with this. Hopefully I will get my silver seven award either this Wednesday or next. It was my Birthday on Friday and I turned 25.

I spend the weekend at my parents in Worcestershire. My Mum and dad were at work on Friday so I opened pressies on Thursday night, I got lot's of lovely things, a coat, face cleansing products, vouchers etc. On Friday I spent the day with my Nan and cousin Sam. We went to Ludlow, had lunch in the castle tea rooms there and then had a stroll around the market and shops. Then on the evening I was treated to an Indian meal by Mum and Dad and my little bro came along. It was lovely.

Then on Saturday I spent the day with best friend shopping, watching Fame at the cinema and then a light meal on the way home. I bought lot's of bargains in Primark, we spent two hours in there!

On Sunday I went to see a close old friend from college, who has asked me to be her brides maid. I had a mini breakdown before I left to go and see her, I was a little worried about seeing her because she hadn't seen me since I had put on weight and I was worried that she would be disappointed that she had asked me to be a bridesmaid. Silly I know, but I just don't want her to worry about me looking awful on her photo's. I know, she doesn't even think like that. Anyway it was nice to catch up and I am now more spurred on to lose the weight.

After seeing my friend, I dropped round to pick up my Nan and took her to Mum and Dads to have a Sunday lunch. (It will be a miracle if I have lost weight this week, but I have been good the rest of the time to make up for it and I do have boxercise tomorrow night to burn some calories!). Then a long 3hr drive back to my home in Worthing.

Now... well it's Monday and work is nearly over, so that is a plus...but still 4 days to go at work! Hope everyone else had a good weekend.

Daniella's Candy- Paper inspirations

I just found this fab blog, and to top it off Daniella is having a Candy give-away with lot's of lovely crafty goodies. visit her blog and enter. Candy closes 25th September (my Birthday!). She has a lovely blog and makes some fab paper creations.

My Card Making Haven

Cheryl is having a fab blog candy, to win this fab pack of goodies. Visit her blog to enter. Candy closes 30th September.

Car Booting & Card Making

Another busy weekend gone and back to work! It seems like half my office have a touch of Mondayitus, there's hardly anyone in!

So this is how my weekend panned out...

I have loads of clothes, shoes and bits that I want to sell so I decided to do a car boot sale to get rid, along with my boyf sister who had few things to sell. We had to get up at 5.00 and we were there by 6.30, then we sat in a huge que for 1 hr starving and tired. Finally the car boot opened at 7.30 and we were all let in and could un-pack and begin selling immediately. I always get a little stressed about this because people try to look at things and hassel you whilst you are getting things sorted.

The car boot was very busy and I sold some shoes within the first few minutes. I made £50 in total, Natalie on the other hand only made £1 so was at a loss with the pitch fee! She is new to the world of car boot and was still in that stubbon stage where she won't move on price! She will learn.

I always find at car boots that it is wise not to look at other peoples stalls as I will always spot something that I want to buy and then spend all the money I have gained. I was being really good and following this rule, but unfortunately the mans stall next to me was full of the most delightful antiques. All morning I had been resisting the temptation to look at a lovely 1950's sewing box that was causing quite a stir, in the end the temptation won when the last lady almost bought it. It was full of buttons, ribbon, cotton, needles, pinking sheers and the box was beautiful and all for £20, the contents would cost more than that alone. I had to buy it.

I think you will agree it is lovely...

(it has legs as well)

So now I have loads of buttons for my card making.

Sunday was spent finishing off a tri fold shutter card which I had started making for my Nan's Bday. I am quite pleased with it.



I also started working on a decoupage for my Boyfriends 30th Birthday card. He is an arable farmer and loves his John Deere tractor, so I have made a tractor the main theme and will work around that. I just found the image on the internet, printed it several times on the card stock and then cut out the pieces, then coloured the layers and stuck them together. Voula!

I Love...Bumble bags

I just found these lovely party bags on line. I don't have an children but I thought they were cute. They have various designs for girls and boys. You can choose the contents by age range and budget, so there is something to suit everyone. Lovely.

Weighted Thursday

So I had my second weigh in since my return to Weight Watchers. I was not optimistic as I had been ill and really had the urge to 'feed my cold' as the saying goes. Also it is my bday next week and so due to Phil's unpredictable hours he is not sure when he would have the weekend off next and I am away at my parents on my actual bday, so he took me out for an early celebration meal. Nothing too fancy just good English food and good conversation. I didn't count points on this occasion, naughty I know, but I knew that they would be a lot and as it was my bday treat I wanted to indulge a little. It was also a lady at works birthday and they had non-low fat cakes in the office, and due to my cold my 'no thank you' mechanism was not working to it's full potential, so I said, 'ooohh yes please' to a piece of some lovely delicious chocolate cake! (naughty me!)

So taking all of that into account I thought that last weeks efforts were a wash out. But I still went to my meeting, and am I glad I did. I lost a lovely 2lb's bringing my total to 3lb so far , I think the pilates class on Tuesday may have helped a little. Only 4 more and I get my silver seven, fingers crossed for a good week this week. I know you may be thinking '2lb, is that all' but I would rather lose slow and steady, than go full steam ahead and and burn out before I have barely begun.

So I am now going to set some goals:

In total I would like to loose 5 1/2 stone to get me in my healthy weight and BMI for my height. The date that I'm aiming for is the end of June 2010, as I would love to go on a nice summer holiday and wear a bekini, I would like to feel great in flowing sun dresses and little shorts. Goals: Short term

• Get to 7lb and earn my silver seven
• Reach my 10% goal of 11lb by Christmas

Long term

• Loose at least 4 stone by end of June 2010
• Wear a bikini on holiday in 2010

Ultimate goal

• Loose 5 1/2 stone and maintain for the rest of my life (apart from when I have children) within 5lb either side
  

Although it sounds a lot and I have a long road ahead of me, taking baby steps helps, so I think of it as being 2lb per week, doesn't sound so bad when you think of it like that.

Patrick Swayze

I am so sad to hear the news that Patrick Swayze has passed away. He had been ill for quite a while, so at least he no longer suffers.

I have always loved Patrick Swayze as an actor, especially since first watching Dirty Dancing at the age of 5 when my Nan left me in the care of Grandad for a day. I will always be greatful to him for sharing this film with me. I have seen it 100's of times, I love the script, characters and songs.

He will be remebered fondly by his fans and is imortalised in his fabulous films.

RIP Patrick x

Busy Weekend

So I have lot's to tell you, it has been a very busy weekend (apology's in advance for a long post, but some piccies included so it breaks it up.)

Firstly Friday was my nan and Grandad who died anniversary, so a little sad. It would also have been his 79th Birthday on Saturday just gone. A little tough for my Nan being so close to the time of his death, but I think she is coping very well considering.

Despite being a little under the weather over the weekend, my boyf was off work and so I dragged him to a stamp fair (stamps for card making not postage stamps!). He was not impressed and even less impressed when he knew he had to pay £3 for each of us to get in and then had to sub me a £10 for spending! Well I got him in and got some great things to add to my kit: Ribbon, peel off foil letters, decoupage sheets etc. It was really nice to see people making their cards and get some ideas. I also spoke to a lovely lady who is a Stampin Up rep. She explained some techiniques to me and we had a good chat. If I had a house of my own I would book a party. She is local and has said that I can email her and ask questions anytime. Very nice.

So when I got home I was feeling quite inspried and began making a card for my cousin's birthday, she is only 9 but loves having a very grown up soak in the bath with candles and luxurious bubble bath, so I thought this decoupage sheet was appropriate.

Then I started trying out stamping techniques, and was inspired to begin a card for my Great Uncles 80th birthday:


Then another one, just for spares:

I also last week made a card from my kit for my Aunty, again adding some of my own embellishments (top picture)

I also had to go and get my eyes tested on Sunday morning, I wear glasses permenantely and it can be a bit of a pain. I was starting to even squint even when I was wearing my glasses, so the appointment was well over due! I picked out to lovely pairs of designer glasses, Red or Dead and Tommy Hillfiger, I always get designer ones as I wear them all the time, they need to look good! Also because I have to have prism in my leneses the optition told be the lenses would be a lot thicker this time so I should think about going for slimmed down lenses. needless to say they cost more money, £160 to be exact! Poor phil had to pay for me again. He is good to me. Probably the thought of walking around with me with really thick rimmed glasses looking like a total geek probably nudged his arm!

Hope everyone else had a good weekend.

Weighted Thursdays- The begining

To give you an update on my new motivation to loose wait and get fit and healthy....I have now re-joined Weight Watchers. I joined last summer and did almost a year, but I was not fully motivated, not in the right frame of mind, so I didn't lose a lot due to my lack of motivation. I left for a few months, had a break and got my self together.

As I say I have re-joined and am aiming to be considerably lighter and healthier by August next year for my friends wedding which am a bridesmaid at! But one step at a time.

I am going to dedicate Thursdays posts to my progress, as my weigh in is on a Wednesday evening.

I actually found my first week relatively easy. I have learnt from my last stint that I need to keep track of my points rigorously, but at the same time keep it quick and simple as I soon lose interest if I am having to write essays on what I have consumed in a day. Therefore I buy food for lunch for the week, take breakfast to work with me and plan what I am going to eat for the day in the morning. Evening meals are cooked for me so I have little control on what I have and they are not always healthy, so I am sticking to no more than 15 points values for breakfast, lunch and daytime snack so that I have at least 9 points left for the evening meal. I am calculating points on my WW calculator which makes keeping track easy.

I had an ok first week, losing 1.5 lb, a resonable loss. I would rather steadily lose a couple of lb's each week than lose lot's in one week and then put it all back on the next.

I also plan to be more active and use my gym membership, but I am not so keen on the gym, so I am going to do lot's of classes and swimming interspersed with a gym day here and there. I have pilates tonight, which I love.

So far so good.

I will keep you posted!

Boxbird Beautiful

I have recently discovered a local artist that I love. Graham Carter has a gallery in Hove, on the edge of Brighton called Boxbird. The gallery features his own work and the work of other budding new artists.

I am absolutely in love with this particular print called, Serendipity Winter, by Carter himself. Unfortunately it is a limited addition and all sold out :(


I also love....

Poladroid


and Hamamatsu


I think you'll agree they are beautiful and so original. I wish I had a talent as big as this.

1st Master Piece Made

I had a go at making my very first card last night. It is my best friends Birthday very soon, so it gave me an excuse to start.

I seem to have been non stop buying crafty bits to add to my kit, so I have plenty of supplies. I bought a card making pack when I first decided to take it up as a hobby, so I decided for my first card I would make one from the kit and then add a few of my own embellishments. It was fairly simple to make and looks great. I am quite proud of my first make.

Ta Da....


I added the butterfly charm and stamped the Birthday Wishes.



Then I cut a piece of pink card with my serrated scissors. I am not 100% happy with the Happy Birthday hand written inside, so I may use a card embellishment that I have to cover it up.

I Dream of Jersey

This is a bit of a reminiscence post... me and my boyfriend have been together since August 2007. Our first holiday away together was that autumn. We decided to visit the isle of Jersey one of the lovely Channel Islands.

It was beautiful. It was October, so still fairly warm, but had that crisp autumn chill in the air, the weather stayed fine, no rain at all. The island is very rural. So fabulous countryside views, and of course it is surrounded by the sea, so coastal views to boot!

We crammed in loads of site seeing, shopping and even attended a bon fire & fire work celebration. We even managed to find time to relax.

I took some lovely pictures. The Corbiere lighthouse (pictured above) was stunning and such a great evening to capture it. I long to go back and enjoy it all over again, just me and my boyfriend enjoying a simple but relaxing holiday.

Elizabeth's Castle- St Helier

The beach at St Helier


And one more of Corbiere Lighthouse...

Autumn Treats From F&B

My daily job is working in the marketing department for a bedroom furniture company called Feather & Black. (UK only)

I think that we do some really great stuff, the product is very inspirational and Feather & Black are definitely all about living the life style. I especially love our linens and accessories designed by Molly Freshwater, from Freshwater Textiles.

Here are some of my favourite designs for the Autumn Season. We also have some lovely cushions and throws coming in very soon.


Apples kids Linen


Elsie Cappuccino Linen


Henley Linen

Hope you like them as much as I do.

Welcome Cocoa

If you are a existing reader of my blog, then you will know that my hamster, Rambo died last week. I am still very upset to have lost him.

On Monday my boyf was off work for the day, so we spent the day looking around the shops. We had a little look in our local pet shop just to see what hamsters they have, but I said that I wasn't ready to get one yet.

We had a lovely pub lunch, whilst batteling off some very peskie wasps, and then retreated inside to eat a lovely choc sunday. Over ice cream my boyf offered to get me a hamster today if I wanted, there was a lovely brown syrian hamster that had caught my eye. I got a little upset and said I didn't know if I wanted to yet, but I did like the one I had seen and she might be sold if I wait.

So we discussed and decided that we would go and see if she is still there and if she was then we would get her. She was still there, still sleeping like when we saw her in the morning. We bought her, along with a house for her to bed down in, some more food and a treat of meal worms, that the lady in the pet shop said they love them. Much to phils disgust, he is not big on creepy crawly's! Looks like she will only get them when I feed her!

We bought her home, setteled her in. She was loving exploring the cage and went on the wheel for the first time. She is only 8 weeks old so everything is new to her. I can't get over how beautiful she is, her fur is so soft, she is a lot bigger then Rambo because he was a dwarf hamster. To me she looks like a mini bear!

I feel a little guilty about having her so soon. I still miss Rambo, but I think I will love her.